The Sword of Rami by Jason Vey is a role playing game supplement published by Troll Lord Games for use with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

The supplement is a 25-page PDF that was purchased as part of a special bundle, though the supplement doesn’t currently appear to be for sale anywhere. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one page is the front matter and one the Open Game License.

The Introduction explains that this was the 2018 Free RPG Day Release and that it was done for Fifth Edition, rather than Castles & Crusades or Amazing Adventures. It also explains that they are not abandoning the SIEGE Engine games, and that stats for such are included, and that this release was in preparation for the release of the Fifth Edition Player’s Guide to Aihrde, a supplement for Codex of Aihrde. Terminology is also explained; some C&C terminology is kept whilst Fifth Edition supplements are referred to indirectly.

The first part is an adventure. The characters are taking a sword, the Sword of Rami, to where it will be used to affirm the newest king of a tiny country, a sword that helps preserve said country’s independence, when they are ambushed and the sword taken. The adventure has four acts, including the wrap up, as the characters track down the person who took the sword and try to recover it.

Appendix 1: New Monsters has a single NPC, and notes on Twilight Elves.

Appendix 2: Mystical Companions has some information from the Fifth Edition Mystical Companions supplement, with two specific ones, the sword and a dragon.

Appendix 3: The Player’s Guide to Aihrde (Preview) has material taken from that supplement including new archetypes.

Appendix 4: C&C Monster Stat Blocks has the Castles & Crusades stat blocks for the encounters.

This is followed by a full-page map of part of the Aihrde setting where the adventure takes place.

The final seven pages have six pre-generated characters.

The Sword of Rami in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough that these would have been useful. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a number of black and white illustrations. Presentation is okay.

The adventure is truthfully not great. It can’t really be integrated into a campaign as-is, without risking annoying players, for it begins with the characters having lost a combat. It’s therefore only really suitable as a campaign starter. The adventure itself feels a bit unfinished; there are various areas where it seems the GM is just supposed to make it up as they go along. The primary foe is also too powerful. This was done to showcase a feature from Fifth Edition Mystical Companions, but this means that the characters will probably need rescuing in the final battle, which makes their contribution less important.

Much of the supplement features material from upcoming Fifth Edition supplements, and it feels like this supplement is not just done to draw interest, but that it is almost entirely an advert for them. If The Sword of Rami had been a paid supplement, it would feel very poor. Given that it was originally free, it is at best okay.